Missing Friends

It's been awhile since I last blogged. In that time I have not finished much. I have been busy with work, home, grandchildren, and hobbies. I don't know if I put them in the order of time consumption. I meet once a month in Auburn with the Foothill Quilter's. I get excited to be there. Expectally when I have a complete quilt to show. Then, I started Bible study again. I stopped after my mom left. I tried after she died, but found it difficult. This year I'm back and of course with a bang to begin with. My hopes are that it continues to be with a bang rather then a drudge. Then there is my biggest committment, Meetup, on Wednesday evenings. I have made some fantastic friends here. I missed going last week because of busyness. I plan to make it there this week.
Today I get to play grandma again. Yesterday, I sat with my 31/2 yr. old, grandson, and we put a puzzle together. He is very good at puzzles. It had 62 pieces and it was a dinosaur puzzle, 14x18''. Not bad for a grandma and her grandson. Today, rather in a few minutes I will take care of his brother, 6 mon. He is rolling and as cute as can be. Later, I get to sit for the two sitters. Their mother has an errand to run and then she will cut and pamper my hair color, so I continue to look somewhat younger.

Being Grandma

Six years ago, my husband, mother and I moved to our new home. My husband and I had one married child who seemed intent to remain childless. My oldest son just couldn't seem to make up his mind about seriously dating and my daughter was still in college. All was as normal as it could be. Then upon telling everyone that we decided to move and live with my mother, my oldest found the love of his life, and my daughter was still attending college. Well, that seemed okay. Two years into living semi-retired, both son and daughter tell us that they are getting married. My daughter, to a young man that had a 2 yr. old. Hurray for me, I am finally a grandparent. My first grandchild was to be a girl. Then the son who was married and content being childless informs us we are to be grandparents again. Oh boy! this time a grandson. Our oldest informed us of our third grandchild, a girl. Yes! number 3. Then another was soon born later to them, but unfortunately she did not live. Sorrow...number 4. This year numbers 5 a boy, and 6, a girl were born. Now I have my grandchildren. It is no longer normal. We get calls to sit, to visit, to help out. It is wonderful, happy times, and exhausting too. We love almost every minute.
This passed week was spent with grand kids. First our daughter, called to help enroll her stepdaughter into school. They needed to work and she would be alone. Sure, I put my super grandparent cape into the bag and went for a visit. I got to sleep on the couch, have 2 dogs jump on me and a little girl, now 7 yrs. jump into my arms when she was frighten of the oceans waves as they first approached her. Then she pulled me into the waves the second time. We both laughed and giggled the whole time.
On returning home, I was able to visit my grand daughters here in this area. The newest is getting to look like a baby. Her legs and arms have filled out and she is holding her head upright, looking around to see new things.
Later in the week, my husband and I were able to be with our grandsons as they went to the zoo and a science museum. Sharing special animals, seeing and touching new things. No one can take these memories from us. It is such a blessing to have our grand kids in our lives.

Love

It has come to my attention that I am in the middle of something I should not be. I guess I have learned a difficult lesson about stepping out and taking chances on the internet. Some hurtful things were said about a good friend that I positivity responded to since I did not know who the person was that wrote the blog. Since learning this I feel just awful. Yes I know the person I commented on is similar in nature to the blogger describtion, but the person she did comment on, is in no way on earth like this. Venting is okay, but trickier is not. Please rememeber that it is difficult to love someone whom one would rather hate.

Sponge

I was given the opportunity to help with my grandchildren and I took the invitation. My daughter-in-law, Heather, needed some help while the sister had a baby. It was for only two days but they were filled with excitement, never a dull moment. In the morning, her oldest 3 1/2 yr. old Andrew, would come to the room where I was sleeping and tell me that the sun was up and it was time to get up. Then he would politely ask me if I would play with him? I usually get up, dress, have my tea and then think about my day before I do anything as serious as play, but play I did. If I heard the baby, 4 month old William, I would go retrieve him from where he was awake so Heather could get a few more winks in. As the day went by, I would become William's drool cloth. He is a drooler and no teeth in sight. It was such a good experience. As it turn out Heather's sister had her little girl Cesarean, her mother-in-law was able to stay longer and we went home Friday.

Vacation

We finally made our trip north to see my sister and her husband. Our plan was to leave here Aug. 1 and get there on the 2nd. We stopped at Bend, Or., and one quilt shop there, BJ's and another in Moro, Or. The one in Moro was to be a pit stop, but it turned out that I purchased some fabric there too. While riding, I was making a sweater. It started out, I thought, to fit me, but alas my measurments weren't quite accurate and it became my sister's early Christmas present. A few weeks earlier, I was knitting at my quilt guild a follow knitter/quilter suggested that I use a new color when she learned that I did not have enough yarn. That's when I found the wine color of Rowan's silk/cotton. I would like to make another sweather, this time one that fits me, but not now. While up in Valley, Wa., I reknitted the sleeves and blocked the sweater. I was also fortunate enough to find some buttons at the WalMart. My sister says that it is exactly prefect. ( This is me smiling.)
On our way home we stopped again in Bend. My plan was to see the two knitting stores there, but they did not open until 11am and 12 noon, so we stopped at two quilting stores. We took off after 11am and headed south. Just about 30 minutes south, Gilchrist, I saw a sign off the freeway, "yarn shop." I was driving, so we stopped and found a small shop with many of the yarns one can find at Joann's or Beverly's. I owner was very nice and what she had to sell was nice, but I did not buy anything. I even left without a kitten. Her stray mommy cat had 5 little kittens there in the store and were 1 week shy of going home with anyone. Before we even arrived at Bend though, our trip became an adventure. A few hours laters we left Washington, passed Moro, and we drove right into a thunderstorm. Thank God I was not driving. The hail was the size of quarters or bigger, flashes of lightning and thunder seen and heard nearly at the same time; and then there was the rain. Hal decided to follow the car in front of us through a wash. The water was up to his bumper as it was for us. The storm lasted longer than we wanted it, about 20 min. We continued to drive, but some cars pulled over while others drove on. There were even motorcyclists stopped and huddled together. I know if we waited the storm would have lasted longer than the 20 min. We did have some window damage, but not major. The trip from Bend home was unevenfull. We made it home just as the sunset.

Many Pics

I am adding a few new pictures to the sight. I want to show all what I've been up to the last few months. The shawl shown here was made this weekend using the Easy Triangle Shawl pattern from Lion Brand. I purchased the yarns from separate locations. The first, organic lamb's wool in rose color, was from the Lamb Festival in Dixion and the second, the brown's from Jimmy Beans Wool in Reno. The socks were made for my grandson. I enjoyed making these. I have made and completed several quilts too. The one in purple was donated to the Sutter Breast Cancer Auction.

Overnighter

My husband and I went to Reno on the spur of the moment. We drove of course on a Friday night and found little traffic. We did a little gambling and went to the room for some away time. I began a shawl, Easy Triangle off of Ravelry, while he slept in the morning. I finished one hank of yarn and realized I was going to need more yarn. Of course being a senseable woman I went to the nearest yarn shop, JimmyBeansWool, and chose a yarn called Venus by Trendsetter, (I had choosen from my stash to use but this looked to be a better chose). On the way home, Hal drove and I knitted. The Venus yarn was a good chose. Now I wish I didn't have to use the other yarn. When completed I will add the picture to the sight. I also purchased some Jasper yarn from Berroco to make a vest.